Hearty Beef Soup + Video
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This Hearty Beef Soup is rich, bold, and packed with Italian flavor. Tender chunks of seared chuck roast swim in a savory broth made with Cabernet and Italian spices, while red potatoes and sweet carrots add rustic charm and substance. Honestly, it may be my best beef soup recipe yet. It’s cozy, filling, and even better the next day!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS BEEF SOUP
- Simple, wholesome ingredients
- Crave-worthy flavors and textures
- One pot = easy clean up
- Chad’s top-pick
Table of Contents
Hearty Beef Soup
Let me tell you something loud and proud… this is the soup that stopped my husband in his tracks.
Out of two thousand recipes on our site (yes, two thousand), this Hearty Beef Soup was Chad’s number one pick for our family Christmas dinner.
I mean… we could’ve gone with prime rib, lobster tails, or a chocolate dessert buffet, but this soup still reigned supreme.
That’s the power of a pot full of flavor-packed beef, rich stock, bold wine, and fork-tender veggies that practically melt in your mouth.
This old fashioned vegetable beef soup recipe has got Sunday dinner vibes with Tuesday night effort. It’s cozy, meaty, deeply savory, and so tender you could cut the beef with a spoon.
And yes, I said that like it’s a badge of honor (because it is).
One bite and you’ll feel like you’re wrapped in a warm blanket… that also happens to taste like a five-star bistro.
So, when people ask me what recipe I personally recommend when they want to knock someone’s socks off without breaking a sweat? This is the one.
Chad-approved. Donna-devoured. Reader-adored. Make it once, and you’ll know why.
OLD FASHIONED VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP RECIPE VIDEO
Want to see how easy this comes together? Watch our quick recipe video 👇
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Beef Chuck Roast: This cut comes from the shoulder of the cow and has a super rich, fatty flavor. It’s my first choice for hearty beef soup!
- Shallots & Garlic: Aromatics play a big role in the overall flavor of a soup.
Shallots can be replaced with an onion of your choice (for an even stronger flavor), but be sure to use fresh garlic instead of powdered. - Beef Stock: Vegetable stock works just fine too. If you’re using bouillon or beef base, then use 4 teaspoons of the base/bouillon mixed into 4 cups of water.
- Italian Seasoning: DIY your own blend with 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Soy sauce is your best substitute, but you can add ketchup or apple juice to it to get some of that sweet acidity back.
VARIATIONS
Potato Swap: Replace red potatoes with sweet potatoes or parsnips.
Stew-Like Texture: Add pearl barley or orzo for an even heartier soup!
Extra Veggies: Stir in green beans or peas during the last 10 minutes for color and variety.
Alcohol-Free Option: Choose a non-alcoholic red wine, substitute extra beef stock, or simply use grape, pomegranate, or cranberry juice.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Bread For Mopping Up: Cornbread, beer bread, and garlic bread are favorites around here!
- Something Fresh: A crisp green salad balances this rich and hearty beef soup.
- Extra Veggies: Roast green beans or grill up some zucchini or asparagus.
- Topping Ideas: Sprinkle on some fresh parsley and croutons or crushed crackers.
- Dessert Options: Continue the rustic theme with a peach crisp or keep it light with pignoli cookies.
BEEF SOUP RECIPE FAQ
The most tender cuts of meat for beef soup is either a chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast, or top chuck… with chuck roast being my personal favorite.
Despite what the name suggests, stew meat is not your best choice in a beef soup recipe! The cubes in a stew pack can actually come from any combination of cuts, and you never know if they’ll be suited for simmering or not.
Yep! Let it cool down first, and then portion into separate containers so that you can thaw just one serving at a time.
If you plan on reheating all of it at once, then a freezer bag or other airtight container will do just fine for the whole batch.
Thaw this hearty soup in the fridge overnight, then reheat it right back on the stovetop over medium heat until all warmed through!
If you’re just getting started, flour is the most common method. It’s typically sprinkled over sauteed vegetables in the beginning, but here we’re relying on the seasoned flour coating on the beef.
Once a soup gets going, you’ll need to use a slurry. Mix flour or cornstarch with cold water until dissolved, then stir that into the pot. It will thicken the soup as it continues to simmer.
After making this hearty soup for 12 years, I can say with confidence: the key to this melt-in-your-mouth beef soup is the sear-simmer combo.
First, searing the beef deepens the flavor with that Maillard magic (those little brown bits = FLAVOR GOLD).
Then, a long, slow simmer with wine and aromatics breaks everything down into a velvety broth that hugs every spoonful.
I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count. Sometimes in double batches because it disappears that fast. And if Chad calls it his #1 out of thousands… trust me, you’re in for something special.
DONNA’S PRO TIPS
- Don’t skip the searing. Browning the meat adds unmatched depth to the broth.
- Use a wine you’d actually drink. The flavor matters.
- Always deglaze! There’s so much flavor cooked onto the bottom of the pot.
- Cut veggies evenly. Uniform chunks = even cooking and perfect texture.
- Reheat gently. This broth is too beautiful to scorch. Go low and slow.
TOOLS NEEDED
- Large Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottom Pot: Essential for even heat and gentle simmering.
- Tongs: Use these to turn the beef and sear it on all sides.
- Cutting Board and Knife: To trim the beef and chop up the potatoes and carrots.
- Garlic Press: Fresh garlic is a must in this recipe!
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Getting the right ratio of liquids, seasonings, and veggies is the key to a balanced soup.
- Ladle: For serving!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Hearty Beef Soup + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 4 cups 32 ounces beef stock (I love Kitchen Basic)
- 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chopped red potatoes, about 20 ounces, bite-size pieces
- 3 cups chopped baby carrots, about 12 ounces, bite-size pieces
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef: Trim off any hard fat or silver skin from the chuck roast. Cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Coat the Beef: In a large 1-gallon resealable bag, combine the flour, paprika, pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the cubed beef, seal the bag, and shake until the beef is evenly coated.
- Sear the Beef in Batches: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter. When the butter melts, add half of the floured beef cubes, shaking off any loose flour first. Sear each piece on all sides, turning every 3–5 minutes, until browned. Transfer browned beef to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Once all the beef is seared and removed from the pot, reduce heat to medium. Add diced shallots and minced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and translucent.
- Deglaze the Pot: Pour in the Cabernet Sauvignon and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Simmer the Beef: Return the seared beef to the pot. Stir everything together, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, covered.
- Add Vegetables: While the soup simmers, chop red potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. After 40 minutes, add them to the pot. Stir well to coat with broth. Cover and simmer for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread or a side salad.
Video
Donna’s Notes
Beef: Chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast, or top chuck work best. Do not use pre-cut stew meat—it’s often a mix of tough cuts. Wine Substitute: If avoiding alcohol, substitute the wine with additional beef stock or grape, pomegranate, or cranberry juice. DIY Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have a premade blend, use 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. Stock Substitute: Substitute 4 teaspoons beef base or bouillon plus 4 cups water if needed.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2014, updated and republished September 2025
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
my husband was amazed, it was so good! Thanks for a great recipe!! Oh, I didn't have Italian seasoning, so I made a mix of garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. It had a bit of kick!
I made this soup. I hope I could show you the picture of my finished product (copycat).
Donna, this looks like pure comfort food! I love dishes like this when the weather is cool. This will be perfect this weekend!
I made this tonight, it's absolutely divine!
Grubbin! Just made it it this afternoon. Koodos for the recipe
Would Merlot work for the wine in this recipe?
You could use merlot, but cabernet is the best in this soup. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
I'm making this dish tonight for the first time. It's freezing outside so I thought this looked perfect for dinner. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Awesome. Let us know how it goes!
Getting ready to make this for dinner tonight. Following your recipe, but instead of using the dried Italian seasoning I'm adding fresh rosemary and thyme…Can't wait!!!
I made this for dinner Monday night. I have made beef stews before, but nothing remarkable. In fact, when my husband and my teenage boys asked what was for dinner, they were not too excited. So, after I cranked out this recipe, unsolicited, they declared that it was the best beef stew they ever had. One thing that I think that makes the difference is using chuck and not stew meat like you suggested, and coating in flour and spices is genius! We do not drink alcohol and I subbed out the wine with cranberry juice and it worked great! This might say 12 servings, but can I say that five men ate it all, before I got any! (Delivery guys were installing my new washer and dryer, they came late, during dinner time and as I was overseeing that, these guys ate it all- I only got to taste it as I was cooking.) They were all embarrassed when I told them that I didn't even get to have any, but they declared they couldn't help themselves it was so good! Yeah so, good thing they are cute…. making it again soon.. next time while they are at school, so I can get the first bowl 🙂
I am so excited that your family loved it so much they ate every last drop! You totally made me grin. The cranberry juice is an excellent swap for the wine. Pomegranate and grape juice work very well too. Thank you so much for sharing your story!
what is the substitute i can use for Entwine Cabernet Sauvignon?
Thank you for this fantastic recipe! We seldom drink and hence I replaced the wine with 1/2 cup of red grape juice. My experience with chuck (I used chuck tender) has been undesirable as it often turned up dry. So I tried beef shin instead and it was marvelous. I need to extend the cooking time to allow the meat to become tender. Oh ya, I used home-made chicken broth as it was available then. Thanks again! 🙂
I made this recipe last week and it was truly amazing. Thanks so much for posting it. Wondering if anyone has tried this with coconut flour or almond flour to replace the regular. Also, would this work with turnips in place of potatoes. Potatoes seem to cause joint inflammation so I try avoid them. What about mushrooms? Thanks –
Have a pot of this on the stove, it has 30 minutes left! I tasted it and I can't wait for it to be done!!!!!! So yummy!
My experience with soups and stews on the stove have always been pretty disastrous. I do not have the ability or the patience to do it right or well, so I rely on my crock pot for those kinds of things. Do you have any conversion suggestions for a crock pot? Or has it even been tried? Please let me know. This looks so good I would love to attempt it!
The crock pot works just fine and you do not have to watch it. Just cook until done. That's how I cook everything. I don't see why you should change a thing to use a crock pot!
My experience with soups and stews on the stove have always been pretty disastrous. I do not have the ability or the patience to do it right or well, so I rely on my crock pot for those kinds of things. Do you have any conversion suggestions for a crock pot? Or has it even been tried? Please let me know. This looks so good I would love to attempt it!
Seriously, why post comments when you have never MADE the recipe. Nobody really cares that it "looks good to you." Just try the recipe and if you have helpful comments, then post them. Otherwise stop wasting people's time.
Made this last week it was really amazing my husband and my daughter loved it! I am making it again today, since its my husbands birthday today. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!!!!!
Oh my – just made this and it is fabulous! I think I may need to double the recipe….everyone loves it. Nice recipe to share with a new mom and her husband!
I made this last night for dinner. It was wonderful and so rich tasting. I made it in a slow cooker on low, I put it together in the morning and it was ready after work. It is a great recipe to help control the amount of sodium you take in. I will make this again.
This recipe looks sooo delicious. Thank You for sharing it. I'll try to make it today.
Can I substitute the shallot for a red onion?
Sorry for asking this, but what is the best beef stock to use?
Absolutely feel free to use 1/4 red onion in place of the shallots, it will obviously lend a more oniony flavor but will be fabulous. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
Hello Donna, this recipe is so delicious! thanks for sharing it with us. I do have a question and this is about the soup bowl you have used I really love it… what brand it is?
thank you again 😀
This stew was amazing! I didn't add wine because we don't drink it, but even without it..it was hands down the best stew I've ever tasted/made (and I've made a lot of them with 4 growing kids)! It's now the only one I will ever make again! It's was so full of flavor and rich! The entire pot was nearly eaten in one dinner (next time I'll double it). I think I managed to sneak the last bit for leftovers the next day! Highly recommended!
This is one of the best soups Ive ever had!!!!! My hubby who doesnt care for soup LOVES it 🙂 Didnt change a thing and it came out perfect!!!!
Can i use garlic and onion powder in place of the shallot and minced garlic. If so how much would i use?
Ok I have the stock and beef simmering now…. it really looks like the liquid will not be enough to cook potatoes and carrots!! I halved all ingredients. Should I add more stock? water?? Hellllp!
It won't hurt to add more. I usually add a little more than the recipe calls for. Just eye it. I made this again last night and only 2 small portions remained for leftover today! It's seriously delish!
I've used this recipe and made it as Stew a couple of months ago by eliminating 16 oz of beef stock as you suggested, so that was an excellent comment, thank you. My husband and I absolutely loved it!! I did use extra fresh garlic, because we like it, and added about 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste which always gives any brown stew recipe extra oomph!. I'm making this recipe again this week for a guest and we're pretty sure she'll love it as much as we did! Thank you for the excellent guidelines! The leftovers were excellent as well. Thank you!!